Mechanical musical instrument.



No. 7l7.l46. Patented Dec. 30, I902.

E. s. VOTEY,

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Nov. 2, 1901.)

(N u M o d e i ms ATTORNEYS.

UNrTED STATES PATENT Onnicn.

EDWIN S. VOTEY, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN CO., OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,146, dated December 30, 1902. Application filed November 2, 1901. Serial No. 80,940. (No model.)

.9 a whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. VOTEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Summit, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanical musical 1o instruments, and particularly tothat class of instruments known as pianolas.

The object of my invention is to providea rest or support for the hands or wrists of an operator when manipulating the levers or other devices controlling mechanisms comprised in the mechanical musical instrument.

I will describe a mechanical instrument embodying my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a mechanical musical instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view. Fig. t is an end View. Figs. 3 and 4 are drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures. The mechanical musical instrument here represented is a pianola.

A represents a portion of the casing, and A the folding top or cover for the space or recess provided in such instrument, in which 3 5 the music-spools A A the tracker-board A,

and the levers A which control mechanisms A may be provided in the rest B or the flange or for locking the cover and rest together. The rest is also held in a raised or closed position by means of yielding catch devices C, which are provided at the ends of the rest.

The

hinge for each end of the rest is here shown as consisting of a plate I), secured to the rest and provided with a projection 12, extending laterally into a plate 19 secured to the end of a front wall X of the casing of the instrument, which plate is provided with an opening to receive the projection b.

The yieldingcatch C is here shown as consisting of a spring-actuated plunger 0, working and confined in a casing c, which is countersunk in the wall X of the casing A, and a plate 0 secured to the end of the rest B, with which the plunger 0 engages. The plunger 0 normally extends out of the casing,

'and the plate 0 is provided with a flange a to retain the plunger on the plate. The flange is depressed at one part to form an opening 0" for the plunger to easily engage with the plate.

When the instrument is to be operated, the cover or top A is folded back out of the way in the usual manner and the rest lowered to a horizontal position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position it serves as a support for the wrists and forearmsof an operator in manipulating the instrument.

What I claim as new is- 1. In combination with a mechanical musical instrument having a space or recess in which the spools for the music sheet, the tracker-board and controlling-levers are 10- 8o cated, a cover for said space or recess, a hinged or pivoted rest at the front of said space and on which the cover is adapted to rest and a lock for securing the rest and cover together.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument having controlling-levers for the mechanisms comprised therein, a rest hinged in front of said levers and adapted to be moved into vertical and horizontal positions and catches for 0 holding the rest in a vertical position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN S. VOTEY.

Witnesses:

OWEN WARD, W. CORNELL BENJAMIN. 

